COEUR d’ALENE  —  Adi Thompson didn’t just write a story about a cat.

She read it to one.

“Ashley started to wonder if he would ever get adopted," Thompson said. "That night he couldn’t sleep. The next day, a girl named Nya came to the shelter to adopt an animal. Nya’s eyes zipped across the rows of animals and landed on Ashley! Nya instantly wanted him. She told the manager and he let him out. Nya gently carried Ashley to the front desk. He meowed excitedly as Nya signed all the papers. Then the manager said goodbye and Nya walked out the door with Ashley.”

The student at Northwest Expedition Academy recently joined second- and third-grade classmates in a December project called a “Secret Santa Paws."

They raised donations including dog and cat food, wood pellets and wipes, and delivered them to Companions Animal Center.

Students also selected cats from the CAC website and wrote narratives about how specific animals were rescued and read them directly to that animal.

“We left the stories there so other people could read and hopefully be inspired to adopt these animals,” wrote Jodi Vershum, teacher.

Vicky Nelson, CAC development director, said reading to the animals has always been a program they wanted to offer to students.

“Since moving into the new center, we can now schedule our feline population to reap the benefits of all this attention,” Nelson said.  

She said the cats and kittens were thrilled to have the company and their stories touched staff and volunteers.  

“The students also seemed to enjoy reading to them as the animals cuddled right up to them and listened intently,” Nelson said.

Vershum said their goal was to help CAC and for students to understand their actions can impact the lives of others. 

“The lessons students learned is that even though they are young, they can make a difference,” Vershum wrote. “There are people out there making a positive impact in the lives of others.”

    Makenna Buckallew, Northwest Expedition Academy student, reads to a cat at Companions Animal Center.